192 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



Charles Knightley, his wonderful cow Valuable, by De- 

 fender (194) in 1822), took up Mr. Stapleton's challenge 

 to show their bulls for £bO a-side, in Duncorabe Park. 

 Little prints of Necklace and Bracelet, from the original 

 paintings at Killerby, over which we have so often pon- 

 dered as we sat, and as often decided the knotty point 

 of precedence, on the score of more length, for Bracelet, 

 are ranged on each side of it, and Cherry Blossom is 

 not forgotten. We miss Buckingham, but need only 

 look outside for the ratification of the wise decision 

 of the late Mr. John Booth, to send Bracelet to Mus- 

 sulman, and have a cross of Col. Craddock's rare " old 

 Cherry tribe." Eight medals, a very small propor- 

 tion of those which have reached Warlaby from Hanover- 

 square or the Yorkshire Society, alone are ranged on 

 the chimney piece; but the mind naturally reverts to 

 more solid testimonials, ,£"25 and £15 cheques to wit, 

 signed by Secretaries, and, after glancing at the contents 

 of one or two cases, we pass the others by. 



And so we leave these relics of the past, and with 

 Mr. Booth and Cuthbert, alias " Cuddy," as our cice- 

 rones, we saunter out on to Banniston Hill. The Ain- 

 derby steeple shows boldly out in the distance, right 

 above the rushy level, where the herd " wander at their 

 own sweet will," in the summer heat, and where, to 

 judge from the frequent gun flashes, jack snipe betake 

 themselves in winter. " Cuddy" is to the Yorkshire 

 short-horns, what Sir Tatton Sykes's Snarry is to its 

 thorough-breds. He has grown grey in Mr. Booth's 

 service, and as he stands there, proudly telling of each 

 cow to the seventh generation he has reared, in his wide- 

 awake, his brown jerkin, his red and purple check hand- 

 kerchief, twisted, hay-wisp fashion, round his neck, and 

 grasping an aged hunting whip, we see no reason, either 

 on the score of memory or ailment, to believe in his 

 foreboding of " I may be dune, any time now." Satin, 

 the old dame of the herd, and some three or four months 

 beyond fourteen, was strolling over the hill and far away 

 to the right as we entered the field, and hence the red 

 Vivandiere, by Buckingham, who is not many weeks 

 younger, was the first we came up with. Her remark- 

 ably nice head and eye are her most taking points, and 

 she is a most undeniable milker to boot. At present 

 Mr. Booth has three bulls by her — Prince Arthur, 

 Prince Alfred, and Prince Oscar, all by Crown Prince, 

 and she is in calf to Sir Samuel, who was gallantly 

 grazing at her side. This son of Charity was in Ireland 

 last year ; but although he is rather on the leg himself, 

 his stock are sliowing so well, that Warlaby is not 

 unlikely to be his permanent sphere for the future. 

 Princess Elizabeth, the dam of Queen of the Isles 

 and Lord of the Isles, is heavy in calf to him. She 

 was never in a show-yard, but she has, by her 

 queenly daughter's triumphs this year, placed herself 

 almost A 1 among the herd. Chastity came next ; 

 but we were more struck with the white four-year- 

 old sister to Windsor, who had all the character 

 of her distinguished brother— very neat and level, 

 and with rare round ribs. Our remembrances of Queen 

 of the May, Queen Mab, and Lord of the A'^alley, made 

 us look out very anxiously for Crown Prince's constant 



consort. Red Rose, by Harbinger, for whom a few years 

 since a blank cheque was offered in vain. She is a neat 

 and a very sweet-headed cow, of less size than most of 

 the others, but true as a die in shape ; in fact, a model 

 of milking properties, combined with quality, and a 

 very regular breeder. 



Leaving the field, and wending our way through the 

 goat, some choice geese and Rouens, and some half- 

 Dorking half-game fowls (for Mr. Booth " likes nearly 

 everything on the farm half-bred except short-horns"), 

 we took the yard sheds in succession. 



A white bull-calf, Royal Bridesman, by Crown 

 Prince, out of Bride Elect, with a somewhat prominent 

 Vanguard head, stood first for view ; and near him was 

 Campfollower, a daughter of Crown Prince and Vivan- 

 diere, who had just calved a heifer-calf to Windsor. In 

 the first box in the larger yard, was a red-and-white 

 November calf. Queen of the Ocean, sister to Queen of 

 the May and Queen Mab, and bearing, except in her 

 colour, a strong family likeness to the latter ; while The 

 Soldier's Nurse, with a wondrous bosom, own sister to 

 Campfollower, shared its bed. We were musing on 

 Royal Shows to come, when Crown Prince and his 

 guardian drew up for inspection at the gate. He has 

 never been shown, as they dare not make him fat ; but 

 he retains all the fine form of fore-quarters, in spite of 

 being so po3r. Asa bull-getter, he is especially famed. 

 Mr. Torr had him for a season at Aylesby, and sold six 

 calves by him for 80 guineas each. Mr. Booth has also 

 recently refused an offer of 100 gs. to send four heifers 

 to be bulled by him, and to take a bull into the bargain ; 

 but it transpired, as if by way of contrast, as we stood 

 by a shed, waiting for the victorious Nectarine Blossom 

 and her fair friends, that one of the six half-Scot and 

 half-Irish beasts in the stalls behind us owned him for 

 her sire ! 



And now the grouping began in earnest ; as Bride 

 Elect, Nectarine Blossom, and Queen Mab came forth 

 together. " Cuddy," with a strong eye to the pic- 

 turesque, had disposed two calves in the back -ground, 

 and Mr, Booth pointed them specially out to us, but 

 they never got on to our notes, and we don't know to 

 this day what they were. Their three seniors were quite 

 enough to fill the eye at once. The white Bride Elect, 

 by Vanguard, out of Bianca, was twice beaten by Col. 

 Towneley's Roan Duchess, though she beat her at last. 

 Her show days are over, and so far she has only bred 

 Bridal Flower and Royal Bridesman, but she is in calf 

 to Crown Prince. Her breast is so splendid, that it al- 

 most requires a second pair of fore-legs to support it; and 

 as she stood fore- shortened, with her two companions 

 near her, we longed for a cunning pencil or camera to 

 hit them off for ever and aye. Queen Mab, whounites rare 

 quality and substance, and was second at Northallerton, 

 to Mr. Douglas's Queen of Trumps (who was sold for 

 450 gs., and died within a day's sail of New Orleans) 

 has had a roan heifer-calf to her sire Crown Prince, 

 which unfortunately died. She measures eight feet be- 

 hind the shoulders, just half-a-foot less than Nectarine 

 Blossom, to whom she is universally allowed to bow in 

 elegance of form; and, but that the other is a trifle 



